


After Midnight

by shedrovemehere



Category: Professional Wrestling, 新日本プロレス | New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Genre: Gen, Slow Burn, Time Travel, perhaps, we'll probably get to add a slash to the relationship tag above at some point don't worry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-28
Updated: 2017-09-28
Packaged: 2019-01-06 13:29:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12212214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shedrovemehere/pseuds/shedrovemehere
Summary: Longtime rivals Hiromu Takahashi and KUSHIDA are very different people. But their finishers and their aesthetics both involve the manipulation of time. When they do their finishers at exactly the same moment, they find out just how powerful they are together.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> On Tumblr like a million years ago, I was doing a "send me a title to a fake fic, and I'll tell you the plot" meme. I got the prompt "After Midnight", and this was what I wrote:
> 
> _KUSHIDA and Hiromu Takahashi are forced to tag team together. Hiromu HATES Kushida like no one else. Kushida is intensely creeped out by Hiromu. Little do they know, if they hit their finishers (Back to the Future and Time Bomb) at exactly the same time, they will cause a rift in spacetime. When this happens, they become trapped in a pocket dimension. They have to find a way to work together to win the hardest tag match of their lives so they can get back home to the correct timeline. They learn a lot about themselves and each other in the process._
> 
> Then someone I'd promised a KUSHIDA/Hiromu fic was like "hey you should actually write that" and since they are such a lovely person, and I'd long ago promised them something, I did. I eventually did, anyway.
> 
> This will be the first two chapters, and I don't know how much longer it's going to be! When I realized it was going to take me a while to get these guys where they needed to go, I expanded the story a little. Hope you like it so far!

Hiromu _hated_ Kushida. Well, no. He loved Kushida, but he loved Kushida _a lot_ less than he loved anyone else he knew, because Kushida made him feel bad the most often. Kushida was mean, yes, but Hiromu could handle mean; lots of people were mean to him. But Kushida was the only one who made him cry on a regular basis, because Kushida was _always_ better. Hiromu couldn’t stand that not only had Kushida taken Belt-san away from him, he’d _deserved_ to. _Maybe Belt-san is having a better time with Kushida. Kushi has lots of belt and trophy friends for him to be with, and he was all alone with me._ The thought of Belt-san being happier now… it hurt him, even Daryl knew that it was still hard without Belt-san. He was very honest with Daryl, and Daryl was always understanding and supportive. _So good and kind. Maybe Daryl would be happier with Kushida, too._

It wasn’t that he was jealous, really, because he loved watching Kushida fight. He’d seen a match where Kushi beat both Will Ospreay and Dragon Lee at once, when Hiromu often had trouble with them separately. Kushida could withstand a kitty _and_ a dragon, two perfect animals, at the same time. Hiromu always had to fight the urge to hug them, because he didn’t _like_ fighting, the way Sanada and Naito did. He liked proving that he was good, and he liked defending his friends, but just hurting people for fun? He didn’t like it, even though he made efforts to like it. Maybe Kushi did like it, Hiromu thought, and that was how Kushida could resist the urge to stop fighting Lee and Ospreay to pet their kind, sweet faces. Hiromu wanted willpower like that, he always had. _Kushida knows how to do so many things._  Hiromu couldn’t even hate Kushida properly. Too good. Too similar. But always there as a reminder that Hiromu couldn’t do anything just right. Yes, Kushida probably would know how to make Belt-san happy, Hiromu decided miserably.

Of course, Hiromu was aware that inanimate objects don’t _actually_ have feelings, but it was often very comforting, when he was feeling sensitive, to imagine that they were his friends. It helped him work things out in his mind, if he could assign feelings to something safe, and use that to untangle his own emotions when they got overwhelming. There’s no harm in it, and his brothers in Los Ingobernables de Japon knew that Hiromu just needed a little extra reassurance sometimes; they didn’t find it off-putting, though they sometimes teased him a little. But they all teased each other, and they all had their ways of finding comfort in scary times. Hiromu’s wasn’t always the weirdest, and the rest of them were smart enough to see that, too. They all had a strangeness about them, and reinforced it in each other. It kept them safe, because most people just kept their distance. Most people were too mean and self-absorbed to ever consider why Hiromu and the other members of LIJ would act that way. It saved Hiromu the heartache of loving people, since they would be so mean to him just because he was weird sometimes. Except, of course, Kushida. Kushida was probably meaner than anyone else, and yet Hiromu wanted Kushida to love him, to see that he was good.

All of that made it much worse that he and Kushida were forced to be tag team partners. New Japan Pro Wrestling was trying out a new “fun” tag format for some of its less serious shows: Team of Rivals. It was exactly what it sounded like, and the fans absolutely loved it, but they were the only ones. Everyone had wanted to see the team of Hiromu Takahashi and Kushida, and at Fantasticamania, not only did they have to team up, not only did they have to face a heavyweight team, their opponents were the other team of rivals everyone wanted to see: Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega. No one in the ring was happy. Hiromu wondered which team hated each other more.

Hiromu had Omega on his shoulders, and he briefly considered doing Kenny’s “you can’t escape!” thing, but he saw Kushida setting up Okada for a Back to The Future, so he went for his Time Bomb, and felt a brief moment of awe as he realized they were both going to hit the canvas at the same moment. He heard the crowd and the announcers crescendo as they saw it too, _we are actually going to win this_. All four men went to the ground at once, but just before they hit, Hiromu saw a blindingly brilliant burst of white light. Then he hit the ground, but… Omega was gone? And everything was quiet. The ground he hit had decidedly not been the canvas at Korakuen Hall. Definitely no give, a very painful floor; he’d fallen awkwardly on his side. And the floor was very dirty. _I’m glad I left Daryl with Milano Collection. He hates dirt._

Hiromu looked around as he dusted himself off. All he could see around him was a dark, dusty room, huge and seemingly shapeless. Ignoring his screaming hip, he turned to see his rival laying next to him on the ground. What a nice treat it was, to see Kushida when he otherwise felt scared. He poked Kushida with his toe. “Hey. Kushi. Wake up. Wake up and let’s have fun.” He always talked about _fun_ when he was scared or nervous, because even if it didn’t make him less scared or nervous, at least he knew how fun worked. At least there was a familiar structure to play on. Smiling, laughing, playing chicken with people’s personal space, these were all things that had a method Hiromu was comfortable with. Kushida still wasn’t moving, so Hiromu leaned over him to make sure he was breathing, and he was. Relieved, Hiromu pressed a little kiss onto the apple of Kushida’s cheek.

He liked kisses a lot, just like he liked most people. Hiromu knew, of course, that most people don’t want kisses in a given moment, as a rule. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand the concept of personal space, even though so many people, mean people, decided he was stupid, and must not understand, just because he acted weird. It was just that even though he understood intellectually, it had never really sunken in why people wouldn’t want to show each other every kindness they could, whenever they could. He knew how to act, he knew what was expected, but it was not intuitive, and never really had been.

Hiromu sat on the ground next to Kushida, because he didn’t know what else to do. He had no idea where they were or how they got there, so if Kushida needed help, Hiromu was probably powerless to do anything. He just sat there, checking every few seconds to make sure his rival was still breathing. The silence was the deafening kind, the kind that once you notice it, you can’t stop feeling like it’s closing in on you, like you’ll suffocate. He decided humming was good, and he laughed to himself as he thought about how maybe if he hummed Kushida’s entrance music, Kushida would wake up. It was a joke when he thought of it, but realizing there was no harm in trying it, he softly started humming Kushida’s music.

It was oddly comforting, to hum it to himself. Another familiar thing in a very unfamiliar place. He watched Kushida breathe and he felt so alone, and so scared. Hiromu understood why people don’t like to admit that they’re scared, but just like with kisses, it had never really resonated with him, that desire to appear unaffected by horrible things. He’d always wondered why that was something to be proud of. _Kushi will know what to do. He will know, he always knows what to do._ Those thoughts didn’t feel as comforting as he would have thought they would; for one thing Kushida was still out cold, and for another… Hiromu had never seen a place like this. He was still scared. A tear rolled down his cheek, and he checked Kushida’s breathing again, then started humming Kushida’s song again, from the beginning.


	2. Chapter 2

_Okada must have knocked me out, that bastard. I really thought I had him… Ugh, what is that sound?_

Kushida’s brain limped back into consciousness as he tried to remember what was happening. When you’re coming back from being out cold, you notice things a little at a time; first you’re aware you’re alive, then you hear or smell something, then you feel where your body hurts, then you remember you can open your eyes. And after that foggy realization that, yes, he was still among the living, there was… _What the fuck?_

Kushida shook his head and opened his eyes as he tried to summon every shred of ability available to stop the most annoying noise in the whole world, which was… “Hiromu?” _Oh shit. Of all people._

“KUSHI!” Hiromu’s face was tear stained but he was laughing, _what a fucking bizarre person._ “Kushi! Haha, I had a funny thought that if I hummed your song you would wake up, and I didn’t expect it to work really but it worked! Are you okay Kushi?” In his relief, Hiromu flopped onto Kushida, who still didn’t have the strength to move and so just became even more irritated. Then just as quickly, he scrambled off and sat back down, outside Kushida’s line of sight. “I’m sorry Kushi. I was just scared that you were hurt. And because I don’t know where we are.”

Hiromu was absolutely and truly the very last person Kushida wanted to see first thing upon waking up with dull pain paralyzing every part of him. _But here we are._ “What do you mean you don’t—” Kushida tried to sit up, but was still too lightheaded, and he fell backwards. Hiromu caught his head, which otherwise would have hit the… _dirt floor?_

“Take it easy, Kushi.” Hiromu positioned Kushida’s head in his lap, which would have annoyed a more conscious, less honest Kushida, but just now was very comforting, actually. Hiromu started softly stroking Kushida’s hair, which Kushida let happen for several moments before batting Hiromu’s hand away; more something he felt like he should do than something he’d actually wanted to do.

Kushida sighed. “Okay, Hiromu. Where are we?”

Hiromu leaned over Kushida protectively and tilted his face to make eye contact. “I don’t know. There’s nothing here. I mean I can’t see anything.” He stuck out his tongue and smirked, and Kushida smacked his cheek, which just made Hiromu laugh. _I cannot deal with this._

“Can you help me sit up?” Hiromu gently slid his hands under Kushida’s shoulders, and used his own shoulder to brace Kushida as he sat up. Kushida’s head swam, but he stayed up, even if he was leaning all his weight on _fucking Hiromu Takahashi_. _Why?_ Hiromu hadn’t been making things up: all Kushida could see was the dirt floor they sat on, in an otherwise dim and seemingly-infinite room. “Have you seen anything in here? What do you think this is?”

“I stayed with you because you were hurt. And I was hoping you’d know more about this place.”

“Why would you think I would know more than you do?” Kushida hadn’t meant to sound so annoyed. He _was_ annoyed, but he hadn’t meant to sound it.

Hiromu didn’t seem bothered. _He’s probably very used to that tone of voice_. He shrugged. “I don’t know. It was silly; I just think of you as knowing so many things. You’re very clever.”

Kushida didn’t know what to say to that. “Oh… um… thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

They sat in silence, Kushida bewildered and Hiromu seeming momentarily content. They both noticed it at the same time, movement in the gloom, and then seemingly from nowhere—

“TETSU!” Hiromu jumped to his feet excitedly, but caught himself, and made sure that Kushida could sit up on his own. Then he scrambled over to—

“Naito?” It was Tetsuya Naito whom Hiromu now threw his arms around, sobbing. “Where are we?” Only then did Kushida notice that Naito looked very confused and a little disgusted at Hiromu’s affections.

“I, uh…” He detangled Hiromu from his waist. “I don’t know how to answer that. Are you okay?” Moving Hiromu aside, Naito smiled as he walked toward Kushida, fist raised, then lowered to Kushida’s level, so he didn’t have to get up.

Kushida just stared, and not knowing what else to do, returned the LIJ salute. Hiromu still stood where Naito had pushed him aside, looking confused and hurt.

“You’re in the training center,” Naito said slowly, cautiously. “See the weights, the ring, the mats?” He gestured to nothing, but convincingly. “Why are you two together? Are you sure you’re okay, Kushida?” Naito was still completely ignoring Hiromu, who had now started crying. “Shut up, Takahashi. _Tranquilo_.” Hiromu was stunned into silence.

“I, um… I hit my head.” Kushida knew a bump on the head did nothing to explain the bizarre place they were in, but was hoping Naito had some information.

“Clearly.” Naito laughed derisively, lazily nodding his head toward Hiromu. “I don’t get what _he’s_ doing here.” Naito rolled his eyes. “Are you trying to kill us all?” he stared grimly. Kushida blinked. Natio grinned then, and laughed. “Come on, ha, remember that time EVIL was drunk off his ass and talking about your finishers?”

“Uh, no.” Kushida had never had more than a two minute conversation with EVIL, and certainly had never gotten drunk with him.

“Yeah you do. He said If you put a Back to the Future and a Time Bomb together, it could disrupt time. Remember? He said the Time Splitter and the Ticking Time Bomb should never be in the ring together because splitting time and having a bomb would probably lead to,” Naito lowered his voice dramatically, “ _The Darkness World_.” Naito laughed, but seeing the look of confusion on Kushida’s face, shrugged and said, “well, stay away from that guy,” gesturing to Hiromu. “You don’t want to end up in _The Darkness Worrrrld_.” He turned to saunter out, taking one last look at Hiromu and Kushida. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Uh, yeah. I’m fine. Thanks.”

Naito winked, and the gloom engulfed him.

Hiromu burst into wailing tears, sobbing loudly. “Why was he so mean to me? Why did he ignore me?” He came back over and sat down, leaning his back against Kushida’s. Kushida couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. “And why was he nice to you?”

“I have no idea. I really don’t.” Kushida’s mind reeled as he tried to take stock of everything that just happened. _I must have really hit my head._

Hiromu sniffled and asked, “are we in the—” even through his tears he affected a gravelly snarl “— _darkness wooorld_?”

“I don’t know. Heh, we did hit our finishers at the same time.”

“EVIL knows a lot of things about different times and lives, Kushi.” Hiromu said that as if it explained where they were. "And anyway, aren't  _you_ the one who's seen  _Back to the Future_ like two hundred times?

“No. I mean, yes. I've seen it a lot." For some reason Kushida felt a little guilty that, loving that movie as much as he did, he didn't know more about time travel. "But... how could that be what...? That is insane. How could it be possible?”

Kushida was more muttering to himself incredulously than actually asking, but Hiromu took it upon himself to answer anyway. “Remember what he said, that because of our finishers—”

“I know, man, I know! Darkness World,” Kushida added an obligatory dramatic flair, but wasn't really dedicated to it.  _I cannot babysit this idiot while I’m trying to figure out if time travel is real. At least Marty would be proud._

Hiromu crawled on all fours toward Kushida, tongue out, eyes soft. He seemed to love fucking with people’s personal space anytime he felt like it, and Kushida really really could not handle it right now. He pushed Hiromu away, and Hiromu just smirked and giggled to himself.

 _I am going to kill this asshole._ “Why are you like this Hiromu? Do you want people to be irritated whenever they look at you?”

Hiromu paused, then sat back on his heels. He got an almost pitying look on his face, then stared at Kushida seriously. “Aw, Kushi, I thought you were smarter than that. I’m so disappointed." Hiromu rolled his eyes and sighed. "It's just a way to make myself a little less scared."

Kushida was surprised at how much sense that actually made. He'd seen Hiromu do antics like that countless times, and he knew that everyone in their profession had ways of dealing with nervousness and fear. And a lot of them were a lot worse than Hiromu's. "Disappointed? I've seen people punch you in the face for that. Why am  _I_ disappointing?" Kushida immediately regretted asking the question. There was no way he could try to learn Hiromu's bizarre emotional logic.

Hiromu still stared intently, piercingly, at Kushida. He looked like he was trying to find the right way to phrase the answer, and then he finally said simply, "we’re the same.” There was no playfulness in his voice.

Kushida _really_ did not have the patience for Hiromu’s cryptic way of speaking. _We’re stuck here, though_. He realized he couldn’t afford to be constantly irritated, either, and took a breath. “What do you mean?”

"I see more than people think I do. Which isn't saying much." Hiromu shrugged. “I love people a lot, Kushi. That’s how I am. I see a new friend, and I know… bam! I’m going to love them. It’s hard for me to be another way. Even people I’ve loved for a long time. Sometimes it scares me, knowing how much I love them.”

Kushida had to admit, he did feel an odd pang of similarity there; despite his best efforts at remaining aloof, he liked people very easily. It was part of why he'd become so fierce over the years. His trust had been exploited too many times, and yet, he still liked people just as easily as always. He hated how his heart never seemed to learn. “But the way you act, it kinda creeps people out sometimes, you know that?”

“I know. I am bubbly and weird, and… pshhh…” he brought his hands up in front of his face then made a motion like fireworks blooming out from their center. “But I’m not dumb. I know. I _know_ , Kushi. It’s better, because I don’t like myself, sometimes, when I love people.”

Kushida knew that feeling, too.

“When I love someone, and we’re friends, and they can see that I am good, and they like me? Kushi? I would _kill_ for them. I would do anything to keep them from getting hurt. I learned fast. _Fast_." He shook his head, like trying to chase away a bad thought. "I can’t have too many people like that. That's why I don't usually mind when people are mean and think I'm stupid. I don’t like to spend too much time in that place. You know?”

All he could do was nod. Kushida  _did_ know, very well. It was something he'd always had inside him, since he was very young--fiercely protective to the point of violence, mitigated by trying not to love people too much, compounded by the fact that he always loved people easily, despite his best efforts. Kushida hugged his knees to his chest, and his stomach got uneasy. He’d spent so long discounting Hiromu, being exasperated by the antics and the over-the-top annoying personality. Now, in this… wherever they were… he started to untangle the knot in his mind that Hiromu had always been, and was horrified to find inside things he feared about his own personality.

That was how he maintained control, by being aware of how he felt, staying one step ahead of his emotions. In a sense, he'd gotten great at seeing into the future, projecting how he would react to things. Shaping his environment so that it was more predictable. This meant he was usually much more observant of how others acted, and was very perceptive about their motives. He didn’t like being this unaware of _his own_ emotions.

Hiromu shifted back around behind Kushida, so they were back to back, and could lean against each other again. He leaned his head back onto Kushida's shoulder, and Kushida didn't worry this time about how he _should_ feel, he just let himself and his aching back take comfort in the simple gesture of cooperation. Kushida was, he had to admit, disappointed; Hiromu had been absolutely right to be disappointed in him. He was mad that he hadn't even tried to see past Hiromu's weirdness to _why_ he was weird. Disappointed that in his mind, he'd automatically disentitled Hiromu from having actual human emotions, when now it was clear that not only did he have them, they were frighteningly familiar. Kushida didn't like feeling this untethered and unguarded. And he liked even less that Hiromu had read him like a book.


End file.
